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Dial (Ben10/Marvel Cinematic Universe SI)
- Thread starter DesertChocolate
- Start date
- Location
- USA
Speaking of which...
If Dial doesn't suggest placing a planetary shield around Earth in case of alien invasions I'd be surprised. The one in Omniverse took a lot of punishment from the Incursions before breaking.
I'm super interested in all the BS tech he'll be able to make given liberal use of Jury Rigg/Upgrade.
If I was him one of the first things I'd do once given access to a proper lab is follow in Azmuth's footsteps and make a GM Suit to act as a variable tool kit. That alone would severely decrease spending and increase efficiency by several order of magnitude.
Especially if you add Nanochip BS to it once you have access to Nanomech. Honestly those two Ultimate Forms combined would basically be a the Ben 10 equivalent to Doomaday and would already start off immune to Magic/EMPs etc.
Speaking of Nanomech... I'm having trouble figuring out how the form will interact with the Quantum Realm seeing as Nanomech can go to Nano size just fine (going so small in fact that neurons are giant). I'm sure Nanomech would adapt to it (given Nanochips have shown the ability to completely nosell raw Mana blasts after only being exposed to it like 3 times) but I'm not sure what effect it would have on the form.
- Location
- Kansas
The image of Ultron made of a swarm of Nanochips just crossed my mind, and it's absolutely terrifying.
- Location
- USA
...Yes. Yes it is. There's zero chance of you actually killing him at that point either considering Elena tried to commit suicide and the chips lolnoped her attempt while making it look like it actually worked.
You thought Vibranium Ultron was bad? Wait until it's a rapidly self adapting nanoswarm hivemind that's fully capable of taking control of the world in a matter of hours via mass mind control and able to make any tech it can imagine on the fly.
Honestly every time I think about it I get peeved that Elena was so underutilized. Her powerset is fucking crazy and there's basically no upper limit to what she can do given time.
- Location
- Kansas
Just add her to the "People who are stupid with using powers" group. She'd be right under just about every Cape from Worm.
- Location
- USA
She isn't though? I'm saying she was underutilized not that she did badly with her powers. She almost killed Ben as Ult Echo Echo by choking him from the inside before Julie knocked her back to her senses enough for her to stop. In the same episode she posed as Julie for several days while she was out for her Tennis tournament.
They could have had her be a really really good antagonist but she literally only appeared in 3 episodes and her movie debut.
TimEd
Meteor maker
worm's powers are heavily constrained though?
Any suggestions for improvement? I've been told my dialogue is quite good, but improving it is always a goal.
18
Soon, we were all dressed in our costumes, Rhodey joining us with Tony. Fury waited until we were all suited up before walking towards the conference room.
I felt pretty badass walking through the halls with the group. There's an energy when you walk with superheroes like that all in costume, something I imagined groups of cosplayers felt something close to. We went in a sort of lose triangle formation. Iron Man and Captain America behind Fury on his right and left sides, respectively. Falcon was behind Captain America, War Machine behind Iron Man. Bringing up the rear was Black Widow and Hawkeye, with Dial, me, in-between them.
It hadn't been as clear as right then that I was a superhero now. Dial. It had just been a random codename. Even my fights, as desperate as they had been at times, just felt like fights. Why would the scale change my feelings on it? But now, walking among the greats, having SHIELD agents and personnel watch us as we walked by, their eyes filled with awe... it was pretty cool, but also-
"This is so weird," Sam noted to me as I walked closer to him.
"I know," I replied. "I mean, it's also kinda awesome, but..."
My fellow newbie and I shared a glance and nodded when we saw we understood the same thing. It was cool, but it was also kind of alienating. Ironically so, considering the Omnitrix.
We walked like that until we reached our destination, another conference room. This one was bigger than the last by a wide margin. And it was full of people and cameras, all surrounding a massive table in the center of the room. I took them all in, trying to remember who was who.
The World Security Council, all of them sans Gideon Malick, who had gone into hiding when he'd been revealed to be HYDRA, and Alexander Pierce who was now imprisoned. Four of them, Singh, Rockwell, Hawley, and Yen, gave Natasha and Clint grateful nods, presumably for the two saving those members lives.
Phil Coulson, Victoria Hand, Richard Gonzales, Tomas Calderon, and Jennifer Weaver sat in a line. They all seemed friendly enough.
There were also several holographic screens around the table. One had Maria Hill, clearly broadcasting and watching from the Triskelion. Another showed Matthew Ellis, President of the United States, an older man with graying brown hair and piercing blue eyes. The other screens also showed world leaders from other countries. England, Russia, France, China, Japan, Egypt, India, Pakistan, the whole UN was there. Fury circled around to the head of the table, the seat left open for him, and we followed. Two other seats were open next to it, and Steve and Tony took those. There was a bit of nervousness in the room when Tony's seat let out a few creaks of protest under the weight of his armor, but it held. The rest of us stood behind them facing the rest of the room. I blinked when I realized that the way we had entered had me standing directly behind Nick, Natasha and Rhodey on my right, Clint and Sam on my left. I crossed my arms and tried to look professional.
Coulson was looking at Steve and Tony apologetically. Steve kind of smiled sadly, while Tony let the impassive look of his helmet speak for itself. The Council sitting on the other side of the table eyed us. The whole room stilled.
"Ladies and gentlemen," Fury said simply. "I'm not going to sugarcoat this. We are at war. At war with an enemy that has been hiding within our ranks like a parasite, chewing away at us. They were our friends, our fellow soldiers, even our leaders," Rockwell nodded firmly, scowling at the thought of Malick and Pierce, or so I guessed. "HYDRA. An old enemy, one we'd thought beaten. They tried to use helicarriers like the very one we are all standing on to finally take control of the world," I suddenly realized why Fury had chosen to use one of the helicarriers for this meeting. "Luckily, with the help of many of you, SHIELD has stopped them, and now we have them on the run. HYDRA isn't finished though, make no mistake. Despite the Hercules app, despite agents, military, and law enforcement all over the world hunting them down, HYDRA is fighting back. They're desperate. And desperate people tend to reach for weapons they would never use otherwise," Fury held up a hand when several of his captivated audience began to speak. "I won't mince words either. While we may be holding up well, SHIELD is in shambles. Not just that, but HYDRA had its people everywhere. I've had reports of government officials, computer technicians, CEO's, and even a coffee barista with easy access to a Russian diplomat's daughter, all found out and arrested. We can't simply move on from this. SHIELD and HYDRA are teetering on the brink. I say we get ourselves together before they can."
"What exactly are you proposing?" Councilperson Hawley asked seriously.
"I agree," a person from one of the screens, the Russian president, said. "What is it you want, Fury?"
"Oh, it's not just me," Fury looked over at Steve.
Rather than being put on the spot, Steve was ready. "We've all come to a decision. Many of us agree, that SHIELD, as it was, can no longer stand. We can't simply put it together again. SHIELD... it's done. And something new has to take its place."
The room exploded. Coulson stared at Steve and Fury as though they had broken his heart. Hand was shouting at Fury, before turning on Rockwell. President Ellis was trying to speak, but he was drowned out by the Chinese President shouting in his language as Jarvis provided subtitles. The various SHIELD agents around the room shared in the shouting.
Fury raised a hand. I pressed down on the Omnitrix. I grew up several feet, grey fur sprouted across me, muscles rose across my form, my fingers became claws, and my mouth became a muzzle.
"Blitzwolfer! ▅▂▃▄▄▅▅▂▂▃▅▂▃▅▃▃▄▄▅!"
It was hard to control a howl like mine to just be pure noise, rather than destroying the room but I managed to keep my long cry in control. When I was done, there were a lot of people staring in shock, but no one, not even Fury and those close to me, was deaf. I glared around the room for a moment as Steve began to speak again.
"This is necessary," he said softly. "SHIELD was compromised in a way no intelligence apparatus ever has before. We have resources, people, and allies... but we need to rebuild. Not just to fight HYDRA either."
"What are you going to do," Tony said, drawing attention. "The next time someone as smart as me shows up, and one of the Avengers can't stop him?"
"Or if the next guy who gets a watch like mine," I added. "Isn't as nice?"
"What will happen," Fury asked, leaning forward into to rest his chin on his knuckles, his one eye panning around the room. "When someone like Loki shows up again, and Thor isn't around to stop him... But more than that. Who will protect those who suddenly find themselves with gifts they can't understand?"
"What do you mean?" Tomas asked, confused.
"The world is becoming full of people like us," Steve said. "People with gifts, whether exceptional intelligence, talent in combat, aliens like Thor, or those who have been given gifts due to circumstance beyond their control, like Banner."
"You want to protect people like that?" One of the leaders said in disgust. "Or like that... damned wolf?"
I held back a growl.
"People," Natasha said, drawing the room to her. "That's the keyword. They're people. We're not saying we don't arrest people who do wrong. But we need to do more than just catalog people with abilities and tell them to sit tight and do nothing. We need to protect them from those who would do them harm, who would exploit them."
"People like Bucky Barnes," Tony said, surprising me. He didn't look around when those of us who knew the deeper implications of his words stared at him. He simply let that enigmatic mask keep him hidden.
"Or Carl Creel," I added. "People like me. We know HYDRA can brainwash people, that Loki has done it."
"Not just him," Coulson said. "An Asgardian named Lorelei appeared on Earth a while back. We managed to stop her, but if she managed to control someone with powers..."
"Isn't that more of a reason to just stop people like that?" the Russian president asked. "Prevent them becoming a risk?"
"Not when that person is innocent," Clint said. "We don't believe people should be punished for the crime of being different. Some of these people just want normal lives. Some come from tough situations, or will want to protect others."
"We need to be more than just the wall between the world we think of as normal and the world we think of as weird," Steve leaned forward. "That line doesn't exist anymore. It hasn't existed since I stood in New York City fighting alongside a Norse god and a man in a power suit against aliens coming out of a portal. The world is not normal, but we can still protect it. Keep the innocent safe, no matter where they come from."
Now it was my turn. I leaned forward, over Fury. Everyone looked at me, the werewolf standing massively as my eyes glared at the audience. "And if HYDRA, if aliens or even gods come here again, trying to exploit, rule, or kill us, then we will stop them. Earth will be defended, and all of our people as well."
"This isn't a threat," Fury clarified, not worrying about the wolf who was looming above him. "But we are telling you what we believe we need to do. Together, we can protect this world. But SHIELD needs to be rebuilt to do it. With all the damage HYDRA has done to us..."
I looked around. We'd aimed for drama, for shock and awe to convince the room we were right. From the looks of it, it worked. Some people were still not on board. Coulson still looked as though we'd killed his puppy, though Fury had told us he had some ideas about that.
Councilperson Rockwell leaned forward. "I think, we might need to talk about this for a moment longer. But personally, I agree," he ignored the looks some in the room gave him. "I assume you have a proposal."
Fury leaned back in his chair. "X. Show 'em what we got."
"Of course sir," the former VI said. Holographs appeared in front of all the people around the table, and I could see dignitaries on the screens around us being given tablets by their assistants.
"What you see there are just the bare bones of what I've written up," Fury said simply.
"Wait, is this real?" President Ellis said, looking up from his tablet. "You're stepping down as Director?"
Everyone looked at Fury. He smiled a very sour and sad smile. "Of course I am. No matter what happens, I will be the one who is blamed for this."
"That's not true," Hand said, her eyes soft behind her glasses. "None of us realized or suspected anything for years."
"It doesn't matter," Fury said confidently. "I was head of SHIELD when it was revealed that HYDRA infiltrated. And that's okay. I don't mind stepping down for someone new to take the reins and I will not let my predecessors be blamed for this. I will step down," he smirked. "Plus, I like the idea of history knowing me as the last Director of SHIELD. Holds weight."
Fury wasn't telling the whole story, of course. Just because he wouldn't be in charge didn't mean he was planning to stay out of the fight. But none of those he'd confided in said a word, me included. It was all part of the plan.
"Then who will replace you?" the British Prime Minister asked.
"That's what we'll decide," Fury said. "I have a list of candidates. But first, before I step down, let's figure out the new rules, shall we?"
I held back a groan when I realized I'd have to stand for a while they spoke. Still, we were on our way.
------
January 13th, 2014
Later, the meeting was still going on. And by later, I meant I had left at around 2:00 am as it continued to take a nap, only to wake up about four hours later to find they were still talking. With nothing to do, I took a shower, pulled my hair back, put on my super-suit, and went to one of the mess halls. The carrier had two, one of which was still being used as a makeshift brig for Creel and Bucky, since they're special needs meant the actual brig wouldn't cut it. Davida had been put in there with them. Later I'd have to see about possibly fixing it so the brig could hold superhumans, but I decided to just go to get some food in me.
When I stepped into the room, everyone stopped what they were doing to stare at me. I blinked at the sudden attention and waved. "How's it going?"
A SHIELD agent waved back weakly.
I went to join the line for food. After a moment, people stopped looking at me, though glances were still thrown at me, especially at the Omnitrix. The line moved very quickly, people simply grabbing the various breakfast foods as fast as they could from the buffet style set up. Feeling a bit ravenous, I grabbed a bagel, a doughnut, some eggs, and, feeling a bit nostalgic, was happy to see someone had made smoothies, of which I grabbed a strawberry one.
I went to an empty table and sat down, eating quickly. Once finished, I grabbed another plate, then sat down to continue.
"Damn," someone said as they sat to join me. "You can sure put it away, can't you?"
I looked up to see Sam and gave him a grin around a mouthful of turkey bacon. "I haven't eaten in a while dude."
"Same," Sam said, wearing his costume just like me. He swiped my doughnut and chuckled at the glare I gave him for it. "Been a wild couple of days, huh?"
"That's putting it lightly," I admitted. "Kinda weird not needing to run anywhere for a bit."
Sam smirked at that. We ate in silence for a bit, ignoring the looks we got dressed in our costumes, Sam with his jetpack and me with my Omnitrix. In fact...
"You don't have any clothes here, either?" I asked Sam.
He nodded. "Yeah. And the SHIELD stuff they had just doesn't feel right somehow, with everything that's going on."
That was true. Somehow, with all the discussion on what to do next, wearing SHIELD clothing felt weird.
"Um, excuse me?" Sam and I looked up to see Fitz and Simmons looking at us. The British duo was standing with trays of their own, both smiling nervously. Simmons, the one who had spoken, waved at the empty table. "Um, I'm Jemma Simmons, I work with Agent Coulson."
"I'm Leo Fitz, and uh, I work with her," Fitz said nervously. "Well, I mean, we both work for Agent Coulson, we just- Do you mind if we sit with you?"
"Sure, no problem," I said. "If Sam doesn't mind."
"Go for it," Sam said.
Grinning eagerly, Fitz-Simmons sat down, Fitz next to me, Simmons next to Sam. Sam and I continued to eat. When we realized they weren't eating, we looked at the pair.
Fitz was staring at Sam's wingpack and Simmons was staring at my Omnitrix. When they realized they'd been caught, Simmons laughed nervously.
"I'm so sorry," she said. "It's just your weapons are so fascinating!"
"Yes, I was researching your wingpack," Fitz said excitedly. "And I noticed that you could increase the rigidity flexibility ratio by changing the material to carbon fiber!"
"Yeah, Tony said something about that," Sam said, apparently not knowing what to do about Fitz's enthusiasm.
"Tony Stark said that?" Fitz asked excitedly, turning to Simmons. "Did you hear that?"
"Yes, yes, you said the same thing another genius did," Simmons said dismissively, but with a very fond smile that Fitz returned. "But that," she pointed at the Omnitrix. "What is it? How does it work?"
I looked at the Omnitrix, then at Fitz and Sam. Sam shrugged. "Hey, I'm curious too, man."
Fitz nodded in agreement.
"Well, all right," I swiped my doughnut back from Sam and took a bite. Swallowing that, I was about to speak when Simmons interrupted me when she saw more people walk into the room.
"Wait," she said excitedly. "Skye, Trip! Over here!"
Sam and Fitz looked over as well. The pair walked over to join us. Trip had a wide smile on his face as he sat, Skye looking less excited.
"Look at you two, sitting with real Avengers now."
"More reserve Avengers," I admitted, Sam nodding.
"Still pretty cool," Skye said.
"He... what is your name?" Simmons asked me. "I mean, I know they call you Dial, but..."
At her leading pause, I answered. "It's Mahmoud."
"Yes," Simmons said. "He was going to tell us about the watch!"
"Omnitrix," Sam corrected for me. "He's really specific about that."
"Wait," Skye asked. "You're the guy who made that giant diamond at the Triskelion?" when I nodded, she looked at Sam. "What was it like flying through that thing?"
"Whoa, wait!" Simmons said hurriedly. "I want to hear about the watch first."
I looked at Sam. He smirked at the lost look on my face. "You first, man."
Sighing, I put down my food and held out the watch. "Okay. First off, I don't know who gave this to me or why," I mean, I knew who, but explaining Professor Paradox's dickery was too much trouble.
"Oh..." Simmons seemed disappointed.
"But the watch imprinted its history into me," I said, Fitz-Simmons seeming to perk up at that. "So I know who created it. Azmuth, an alien scientist."
"Was he a famous weapon designer?" Fitz asked.
"...Not intentionally," I leaned back and sighed sadly. "So, look. Azmuth was... well, he was brilliant. Smarter than any person in three galaxies, and more creative to boot. While his whole species, the Galvan people, were naturally more intelligent than almost any other species, he had this spark that none of the rest could match. But he had something even better than that. He was in love."
Simmons, who had been listening avidly, suddenly smiled softly at that. Fitz looked over at her and smiled as well.
"The girl he loved was a scientist as well, a woman named Zennith, and someone he cared for deeply. One day, he went out on a date with her, and they saw the planets align in the skies above. When they aligned, Azmuth was inspired. 'What if,' he thought to himself, 'I created a weapon that could tap into the fundamental forces of the universe. A weapon powered by existence itself.' The thought consumed him, and he spent all of his time creating it."
"And that's when he created the Omnitrix?" Fitz asked.
"No," I answered. "He created Ascalon, a sword."
"What?" Trip asked, confused. "All that build up for a sword?"
"Elegant, isn't it," I asked. "All the power of the universe, in something so small. Zennith tried to warn him as he created it, but he ignored her, obsessed with creating his masterpiece. So, she left. And he never noticed."
Simmons seemed crestfallen while Fitz was thoughtful.
"Azmuth finished Ascalon, and a warrior stole the weapon, hoping to use it to stop an eons-long civil war between the many factions on his homeworld. And when Azmuth saw the destruction of that world, saw how his creation turned a planet into an asteroid field with a single swing, he was devastated. Only then, did he realize what he had done, that he had sacrificed Zennith for nothing."
I was really getting into the story now. "So Azmuth hid Ascalon away and dedicated himself to peaceful sciences. He wanted to apologize, and he started on a creation that would show how sorry he was. Hoping that she would see how he had changed and one day she would return to him."
"The Omnitrix," Skye said, likely figuring out where this was going.
"It's not a weapon, not really," I extended my hand out. "It's a tool meant for peace. Imagine. Being able to walk a mile in other species shoes. To understand them because, in a way, you are them. An ambassador who understood all people, who could stand in their defense without judgment. But that was only part of it."
"Zennith," Simmons took hold of my wrist, staring at the Omnitrix. "Azmuth wanted to prove he had learned his lesson. To prove he cared."
"Romantic, right?" I said sarcastically. "Instead, Azmuth failed. He made a tool for peace, and someone saw its potential for a weapon."
"Yeah," Fitz said sadly. "That fits. Anytime someone just wants to advance science, someone else sees a shiny new bomb."
"That's part of why I like the idea of SHIELD restructuring itself," I admitted, gently pulling my wrist. "There are peaceful aliens out there. Ones like the Asgardians. Making alliances with them, furthering Azmuth's dream... I've done good work patrolling in New York City, and I want to do that later. But making the world, and possibly beyond, a better place is nice too."
"Oh, now that's a question!" Fitz said. "Can you turn into Asgardians? Like Thor?"
"Now that would be awesome," Skye said. "I mean, Thor is just..." Skye sighed. "So dreamy."
"Skye," Simmons said, sounding scandalized, a blush on her face.
"No, she's right," I admitted. "I mean, we've all seen the pictures, and I'm comfortable enough in my sexuality to admit Thor is hot."
We all thought about that for a moment.
"Well," Trip said, shaking his head. "Now that you mention it, you two were in on this whole idea to rebuild SHIELD right? I mean, you were in on it from the start?"
"Well, yeah," I said. "One of my aliens even created the Hercules app."
Fitz and Skye seemed to become very focused on me all of a sudden. Fitz spoke first. "Is there... is there any chance that the app can make a mistake?"
"Fitz," Skye said, sounding sad and frustrated.
"No, I mean, if it made some miscalculation, or discovered someone was not actually HYDRA, maybe?"
I was already pulling out my phone. I placed it on the table, activating the Hercules app. "Who was it you're asking about?"
"...Grant Ward," Fitz said hesitantly.
I opened his file. "Okay, Grant Ward. Recruited by John Garrett after he was arrested for trying to kill his parents and oldest brother in a fire. HYDRA is very detailed in it's filing so..." I sighed. I'd already known what I'd find. I passed my phone over to Fitz, who looked at it desperately. He flipped through the files, one by one, ignoring the pitying look Simmons was giving him.
"Fitz," Skye said.
"It's not true," Fitz said, his voice wavering. "There must be something, right? Something, some proof. He didn't just die a traitor, there has to be some mistake, some reason-"
"Fitz!" Skye yelled. "Ward was a traitor, okay!? He got what he deserved!"
The cafeteria froze. Skye was breathing heavily. Fitz stared at her.
After a moment, he tossed my phone back to me and stood up, walking away very quickly. Simmons went to follow, but Trip put a hand on her shoulder.
"Give him time, girl," he said softly.
Skye groaned, putting her face in her hands. "I shouldn't have done that."
"Don't worry about it," Trip said. "We're all dealing with betrayal today."
Looking around, I could see he was right. None of the SHIELD agents surrounding us seemed confused. Just understanding.
"So uh," I said. "Maybe we should meet up later?" I asked. "I know Tony wanted to talk to me about something? Invite Fitz along, we can all hang out."
"Not me," Trip said easily. "I'm meeting a friend."
"I'll try to get Fitz to come," Simmons said. "I know he'll be excited."
"And I'll go too," Skye said. "Maybe I can apologize then?"
"I don't suggest it," Sam said. "Stuff like that... It takes time, not apologies. Maybe talk him through it, but the fact is you were right."
"Well, maybe apologize for yelling," Trip corrected. "But yeah. Give him time."
"You should still come through," I added. "We're supposed to be doing something important, apparently. Although he said we were meeting on the Bus."
I felt pretty badass walking through the halls with the group. There's an energy when you walk with superheroes like that all in costume, something I imagined groups of cosplayers felt something close to. We went in a sort of lose triangle formation. Iron Man and Captain America behind Fury on his right and left sides, respectively. Falcon was behind Captain America, War Machine behind Iron Man. Bringing up the rear was Black Widow and Hawkeye, with Dial, me, in-between them.
It hadn't been as clear as right then that I was a superhero now. Dial. It had just been a random codename. Even my fights, as desperate as they had been at times, just felt like fights. Why would the scale change my feelings on it? But now, walking among the greats, having SHIELD agents and personnel watch us as we walked by, their eyes filled with awe... it was pretty cool, but also-
"This is so weird," Sam noted to me as I walked closer to him.
"I know," I replied. "I mean, it's also kinda awesome, but..."
My fellow newbie and I shared a glance and nodded when we saw we understood the same thing. It was cool, but it was also kind of alienating. Ironically so, considering the Omnitrix.
We walked like that until we reached our destination, another conference room. This one was bigger than the last by a wide margin. And it was full of people and cameras, all surrounding a massive table in the center of the room. I took them all in, trying to remember who was who.
The World Security Council, all of them sans Gideon Malick, who had gone into hiding when he'd been revealed to be HYDRA, and Alexander Pierce who was now imprisoned. Four of them, Singh, Rockwell, Hawley, and Yen, gave Natasha and Clint grateful nods, presumably for the two saving those members lives.
Phil Coulson, Victoria Hand, Richard Gonzales, Tomas Calderon, and Jennifer Weaver sat in a line. They all seemed friendly enough.
There were also several holographic screens around the table. One had Maria Hill, clearly broadcasting and watching from the Triskelion. Another showed Matthew Ellis, President of the United States, an older man with graying brown hair and piercing blue eyes. The other screens also showed world leaders from other countries. England, Russia, France, China, Japan, Egypt, India, Pakistan, the whole UN was there. Fury circled around to the head of the table, the seat left open for him, and we followed. Two other seats were open next to it, and Steve and Tony took those. There was a bit of nervousness in the room when Tony's seat let out a few creaks of protest under the weight of his armor, but it held. The rest of us stood behind them facing the rest of the room. I blinked when I realized that the way we had entered had me standing directly behind Nick, Natasha and Rhodey on my right, Clint and Sam on my left. I crossed my arms and tried to look professional.
Coulson was looking at Steve and Tony apologetically. Steve kind of smiled sadly, while Tony let the impassive look of his helmet speak for itself. The Council sitting on the other side of the table eyed us. The whole room stilled.
"Ladies and gentlemen," Fury said simply. "I'm not going to sugarcoat this. We are at war. At war with an enemy that has been hiding within our ranks like a parasite, chewing away at us. They were our friends, our fellow soldiers, even our leaders," Rockwell nodded firmly, scowling at the thought of Malick and Pierce, or so I guessed. "HYDRA. An old enemy, one we'd thought beaten. They tried to use helicarriers like the very one we are all standing on to finally take control of the world," I suddenly realized why Fury had chosen to use one of the helicarriers for this meeting. "Luckily, with the help of many of you, SHIELD has stopped them, and now we have them on the run. HYDRA isn't finished though, make no mistake. Despite the Hercules app, despite agents, military, and law enforcement all over the world hunting them down, HYDRA is fighting back. They're desperate. And desperate people tend to reach for weapons they would never use otherwise," Fury held up a hand when several of his captivated audience began to speak. "I won't mince words either. While we may be holding up well, SHIELD is in shambles. Not just that, but HYDRA had its people everywhere. I've had reports of government officials, computer technicians, CEO's, and even a coffee barista with easy access to a Russian diplomat's daughter, all found out and arrested. We can't simply move on from this. SHIELD and HYDRA are teetering on the brink. I say we get ourselves together before they can."
"What exactly are you proposing?" Councilperson Hawley asked seriously.
"I agree," a person from one of the screens, the Russian president, said. "What is it you want, Fury?"
"Oh, it's not just me," Fury looked over at Steve.
Rather than being put on the spot, Steve was ready. "We've all come to a decision. Many of us agree, that SHIELD, as it was, can no longer stand. We can't simply put it together again. SHIELD... it's done. And something new has to take its place."
The room exploded. Coulson stared at Steve and Fury as though they had broken his heart. Hand was shouting at Fury, before turning on Rockwell. President Ellis was trying to speak, but he was drowned out by the Chinese President shouting in his language as Jarvis provided subtitles. The various SHIELD agents around the room shared in the shouting.
Fury raised a hand. I pressed down on the Omnitrix. I grew up several feet, grey fur sprouted across me, muscles rose across my form, my fingers became claws, and my mouth became a muzzle.
"Blitzwolfer! ▅▂▃▄▄▅▅▂▂▃▅▂▃▅▃▃▄▄▅!"
It was hard to control a howl like mine to just be pure noise, rather than destroying the room but I managed to keep my long cry in control. When I was done, there were a lot of people staring in shock, but no one, not even Fury and those close to me, was deaf. I glared around the room for a moment as Steve began to speak again.
"This is necessary," he said softly. "SHIELD was compromised in a way no intelligence apparatus ever has before. We have resources, people, and allies... but we need to rebuild. Not just to fight HYDRA either."
"What are you going to do," Tony said, drawing attention. "The next time someone as smart as me shows up, and one of the Avengers can't stop him?"
"Or if the next guy who gets a watch like mine," I added. "Isn't as nice?"
"What will happen," Fury asked, leaning forward into to rest his chin on his knuckles, his one eye panning around the room. "When someone like Loki shows up again, and Thor isn't around to stop him... But more than that. Who will protect those who suddenly find themselves with gifts they can't understand?"
"What do you mean?" Tomas asked, confused.
"The world is becoming full of people like us," Steve said. "People with gifts, whether exceptional intelligence, talent in combat, aliens like Thor, or those who have been given gifts due to circumstance beyond their control, like Banner."
"You want to protect people like that?" One of the leaders said in disgust. "Or like that... damned wolf?"
I held back a growl.
"People," Natasha said, drawing the room to her. "That's the keyword. They're people. We're not saying we don't arrest people who do wrong. But we need to do more than just catalog people with abilities and tell them to sit tight and do nothing. We need to protect them from those who would do them harm, who would exploit them."
"People like Bucky Barnes," Tony said, surprising me. He didn't look around when those of us who knew the deeper implications of his words stared at him. He simply let that enigmatic mask keep him hidden.
"Or Carl Creel," I added. "People like me. We know HYDRA can brainwash people, that Loki has done it."
"Not just him," Coulson said. "An Asgardian named Lorelei appeared on Earth a while back. We managed to stop her, but if she managed to control someone with powers..."
"Isn't that more of a reason to just stop people like that?" the Russian president asked. "Prevent them becoming a risk?"
"Not when that person is innocent," Clint said. "We don't believe people should be punished for the crime of being different. Some of these people just want normal lives. Some come from tough situations, or will want to protect others."
"We need to be more than just the wall between the world we think of as normal and the world we think of as weird," Steve leaned forward. "That line doesn't exist anymore. It hasn't existed since I stood in New York City fighting alongside a Norse god and a man in a power suit against aliens coming out of a portal. The world is not normal, but we can still protect it. Keep the innocent safe, no matter where they come from."
Now it was my turn. I leaned forward, over Fury. Everyone looked at me, the werewolf standing massively as my eyes glared at the audience. "And if HYDRA, if aliens or even gods come here again, trying to exploit, rule, or kill us, then we will stop them. Earth will be defended, and all of our people as well."
"This isn't a threat," Fury clarified, not worrying about the wolf who was looming above him. "But we are telling you what we believe we need to do. Together, we can protect this world. But SHIELD needs to be rebuilt to do it. With all the damage HYDRA has done to us..."
I looked around. We'd aimed for drama, for shock and awe to convince the room we were right. From the looks of it, it worked. Some people were still not on board. Coulson still looked as though we'd killed his puppy, though Fury had told us he had some ideas about that.
Councilperson Rockwell leaned forward. "I think, we might need to talk about this for a moment longer. But personally, I agree," he ignored the looks some in the room gave him. "I assume you have a proposal."
Fury leaned back in his chair. "X. Show 'em what we got."
"Of course sir," the former VI said. Holographs appeared in front of all the people around the table, and I could see dignitaries on the screens around us being given tablets by their assistants.
"What you see there are just the bare bones of what I've written up," Fury said simply.
"Wait, is this real?" President Ellis said, looking up from his tablet. "You're stepping down as Director?"
Everyone looked at Fury. He smiled a very sour and sad smile. "Of course I am. No matter what happens, I will be the one who is blamed for this."
"That's not true," Hand said, her eyes soft behind her glasses. "None of us realized or suspected anything for years."
"It doesn't matter," Fury said confidently. "I was head of SHIELD when it was revealed that HYDRA infiltrated. And that's okay. I don't mind stepping down for someone new to take the reins and I will not let my predecessors be blamed for this. I will step down," he smirked. "Plus, I like the idea of history knowing me as the last Director of SHIELD. Holds weight."
Fury wasn't telling the whole story, of course. Just because he wouldn't be in charge didn't mean he was planning to stay out of the fight. But none of those he'd confided in said a word, me included. It was all part of the plan.
"Then who will replace you?" the British Prime Minister asked.
"That's what we'll decide," Fury said. "I have a list of candidates. But first, before I step down, let's figure out the new rules, shall we?"
I held back a groan when I realized I'd have to stand for a while they spoke. Still, we were on our way.
------
January 13th, 2014
Later, the meeting was still going on. And by later, I meant I had left at around 2:00 am as it continued to take a nap, only to wake up about four hours later to find they were still talking. With nothing to do, I took a shower, pulled my hair back, put on my super-suit, and went to one of the mess halls. The carrier had two, one of which was still being used as a makeshift brig for Creel and Bucky, since they're special needs meant the actual brig wouldn't cut it. Davida had been put in there with them. Later I'd have to see about possibly fixing it so the brig could hold superhumans, but I decided to just go to get some food in me.
When I stepped into the room, everyone stopped what they were doing to stare at me. I blinked at the sudden attention and waved. "How's it going?"
A SHIELD agent waved back weakly.
I went to join the line for food. After a moment, people stopped looking at me, though glances were still thrown at me, especially at the Omnitrix. The line moved very quickly, people simply grabbing the various breakfast foods as fast as they could from the buffet style set up. Feeling a bit ravenous, I grabbed a bagel, a doughnut, some eggs, and, feeling a bit nostalgic, was happy to see someone had made smoothies, of which I grabbed a strawberry one.
I went to an empty table and sat down, eating quickly. Once finished, I grabbed another plate, then sat down to continue.
"Damn," someone said as they sat to join me. "You can sure put it away, can't you?"
I looked up to see Sam and gave him a grin around a mouthful of turkey bacon. "I haven't eaten in a while dude."
"Same," Sam said, wearing his costume just like me. He swiped my doughnut and chuckled at the glare I gave him for it. "Been a wild couple of days, huh?"
"That's putting it lightly," I admitted. "Kinda weird not needing to run anywhere for a bit."
Sam smirked at that. We ate in silence for a bit, ignoring the looks we got dressed in our costumes, Sam with his jetpack and me with my Omnitrix. In fact...
"You don't have any clothes here, either?" I asked Sam.
He nodded. "Yeah. And the SHIELD stuff they had just doesn't feel right somehow, with everything that's going on."
That was true. Somehow, with all the discussion on what to do next, wearing SHIELD clothing felt weird.
"Um, excuse me?" Sam and I looked up to see Fitz and Simmons looking at us. The British duo was standing with trays of their own, both smiling nervously. Simmons, the one who had spoken, waved at the empty table. "Um, I'm Jemma Simmons, I work with Agent Coulson."
"I'm Leo Fitz, and uh, I work with her," Fitz said nervously. "Well, I mean, we both work for Agent Coulson, we just- Do you mind if we sit with you?"
"Sure, no problem," I said. "If Sam doesn't mind."
"Go for it," Sam said.
Grinning eagerly, Fitz-Simmons sat down, Fitz next to me, Simmons next to Sam. Sam and I continued to eat. When we realized they weren't eating, we looked at the pair.
Fitz was staring at Sam's wingpack and Simmons was staring at my Omnitrix. When they realized they'd been caught, Simmons laughed nervously.
"I'm so sorry," she said. "It's just your weapons are so fascinating!"
"Yes, I was researching your wingpack," Fitz said excitedly. "And I noticed that you could increase the rigidity flexibility ratio by changing the material to carbon fiber!"
"Yeah, Tony said something about that," Sam said, apparently not knowing what to do about Fitz's enthusiasm.
"Tony Stark said that?" Fitz asked excitedly, turning to Simmons. "Did you hear that?"
"Yes, yes, you said the same thing another genius did," Simmons said dismissively, but with a very fond smile that Fitz returned. "But that," she pointed at the Omnitrix. "What is it? How does it work?"
I looked at the Omnitrix, then at Fitz and Sam. Sam shrugged. "Hey, I'm curious too, man."
Fitz nodded in agreement.
"Well, all right," I swiped my doughnut back from Sam and took a bite. Swallowing that, I was about to speak when Simmons interrupted me when she saw more people walk into the room.
"Wait," she said excitedly. "Skye, Trip! Over here!"
Sam and Fitz looked over as well. The pair walked over to join us. Trip had a wide smile on his face as he sat, Skye looking less excited.
"Look at you two, sitting with real Avengers now."
"More reserve Avengers," I admitted, Sam nodding.
"Still pretty cool," Skye said.
"He... what is your name?" Simmons asked me. "I mean, I know they call you Dial, but..."
At her leading pause, I answered. "It's Mahmoud."
"Yes," Simmons said. "He was going to tell us about the watch!"
"Omnitrix," Sam corrected for me. "He's really specific about that."
"Wait," Skye asked. "You're the guy who made that giant diamond at the Triskelion?" when I nodded, she looked at Sam. "What was it like flying through that thing?"
"Whoa, wait!" Simmons said hurriedly. "I want to hear about the watch first."
I looked at Sam. He smirked at the lost look on my face. "You first, man."
Sighing, I put down my food and held out the watch. "Okay. First off, I don't know who gave this to me or why," I mean, I knew who, but explaining Professor Paradox's dickery was too much trouble.
"Oh..." Simmons seemed disappointed.
"But the watch imprinted its history into me," I said, Fitz-Simmons seeming to perk up at that. "So I know who created it. Azmuth, an alien scientist."
"Was he a famous weapon designer?" Fitz asked.
"...Not intentionally," I leaned back and sighed sadly. "So, look. Azmuth was... well, he was brilliant. Smarter than any person in three galaxies, and more creative to boot. While his whole species, the Galvan people, were naturally more intelligent than almost any other species, he had this spark that none of the rest could match. But he had something even better than that. He was in love."
Simmons, who had been listening avidly, suddenly smiled softly at that. Fitz looked over at her and smiled as well.
"The girl he loved was a scientist as well, a woman named Zennith, and someone he cared for deeply. One day, he went out on a date with her, and they saw the planets align in the skies above. When they aligned, Azmuth was inspired. 'What if,' he thought to himself, 'I created a weapon that could tap into the fundamental forces of the universe. A weapon powered by existence itself.' The thought consumed him, and he spent all of his time creating it."
"And that's when he created the Omnitrix?" Fitz asked.
"No," I answered. "He created Ascalon, a sword."
"What?" Trip asked, confused. "All that build up for a sword?"
"Elegant, isn't it," I asked. "All the power of the universe, in something so small. Zennith tried to warn him as he created it, but he ignored her, obsessed with creating his masterpiece. So, she left. And he never noticed."
Simmons seemed crestfallen while Fitz was thoughtful.
"Azmuth finished Ascalon, and a warrior stole the weapon, hoping to use it to stop an eons-long civil war between the many factions on his homeworld. And when Azmuth saw the destruction of that world, saw how his creation turned a planet into an asteroid field with a single swing, he was devastated. Only then, did he realize what he had done, that he had sacrificed Zennith for nothing."
I was really getting into the story now. "So Azmuth hid Ascalon away and dedicated himself to peaceful sciences. He wanted to apologize, and he started on a creation that would show how sorry he was. Hoping that she would see how he had changed and one day she would return to him."
"The Omnitrix," Skye said, likely figuring out where this was going.
"It's not a weapon, not really," I extended my hand out. "It's a tool meant for peace. Imagine. Being able to walk a mile in other species shoes. To understand them because, in a way, you are them. An ambassador who understood all people, who could stand in their defense without judgment. But that was only part of it."
"Zennith," Simmons took hold of my wrist, staring at the Omnitrix. "Azmuth wanted to prove he had learned his lesson. To prove he cared."
"Romantic, right?" I said sarcastically. "Instead, Azmuth failed. He made a tool for peace, and someone saw its potential for a weapon."
"Yeah," Fitz said sadly. "That fits. Anytime someone just wants to advance science, someone else sees a shiny new bomb."
"That's part of why I like the idea of SHIELD restructuring itself," I admitted, gently pulling my wrist. "There are peaceful aliens out there. Ones like the Asgardians. Making alliances with them, furthering Azmuth's dream... I've done good work patrolling in New York City, and I want to do that later. But making the world, and possibly beyond, a better place is nice too."
"Oh, now that's a question!" Fitz said. "Can you turn into Asgardians? Like Thor?"
"Now that would be awesome," Skye said. "I mean, Thor is just..." Skye sighed. "So dreamy."
"Skye," Simmons said, sounding scandalized, a blush on her face.
"No, she's right," I admitted. "I mean, we've all seen the pictures, and I'm comfortable enough in my sexuality to admit Thor is hot."
We all thought about that for a moment.
"Well," Trip said, shaking his head. "Now that you mention it, you two were in on this whole idea to rebuild SHIELD right? I mean, you were in on it from the start?"
"Well, yeah," I said. "One of my aliens even created the Hercules app."
Fitz and Skye seemed to become very focused on me all of a sudden. Fitz spoke first. "Is there... is there any chance that the app can make a mistake?"
"Fitz," Skye said, sounding sad and frustrated.
"No, I mean, if it made some miscalculation, or discovered someone was not actually HYDRA, maybe?"
I was already pulling out my phone. I placed it on the table, activating the Hercules app. "Who was it you're asking about?"
"...Grant Ward," Fitz said hesitantly.
I opened his file. "Okay, Grant Ward. Recruited by John Garrett after he was arrested for trying to kill his parents and oldest brother in a fire. HYDRA is very detailed in it's filing so..." I sighed. I'd already known what I'd find. I passed my phone over to Fitz, who looked at it desperately. He flipped through the files, one by one, ignoring the pitying look Simmons was giving him.
"Fitz," Skye said.
"It's not true," Fitz said, his voice wavering. "There must be something, right? Something, some proof. He didn't just die a traitor, there has to be some mistake, some reason-"
"Fitz!" Skye yelled. "Ward was a traitor, okay!? He got what he deserved!"
The cafeteria froze. Skye was breathing heavily. Fitz stared at her.
After a moment, he tossed my phone back to me and stood up, walking away very quickly. Simmons went to follow, but Trip put a hand on her shoulder.
"Give him time, girl," he said softly.
Skye groaned, putting her face in her hands. "I shouldn't have done that."
"Don't worry about it," Trip said. "We're all dealing with betrayal today."
Looking around, I could see he was right. None of the SHIELD agents surrounding us seemed confused. Just understanding.
"So uh," I said. "Maybe we should meet up later?" I asked. "I know Tony wanted to talk to me about something? Invite Fitz along, we can all hang out."
"Not me," Trip said easily. "I'm meeting a friend."
"I'll try to get Fitz to come," Simmons said. "I know he'll be excited."
"And I'll go too," Skye said. "Maybe I can apologize then?"
"I don't suggest it," Sam said. "Stuff like that... It takes time, not apologies. Maybe talk him through it, but the fact is you were right."
"Well, maybe apologize for yelling," Trip corrected. "But yeah. Give him time."
"You should still come through," I added. "We're supposed to be doing something important, apparently. Although he said we were meeting on the Bus."
- Location
- USA
It really doesn't help that Vilgax saw it's use as a weapon during the 1700s while closing the Time Loop that started the Multiversal one Paradox put Maltruent in.
Although you forgot to mention the secondary purpose of the watch @DesertChocolate as a biological Noah's Arc capable of rezing any species in it's database should they go extinct.
Although you forgot to mention the secondary purpose of the watch @DesertChocolate as a biological Noah's Arc capable of rezing any species in it's database should they go extinct.
- Location
- Just passing through.
- Pronouns
- He/Him
I want to feel bad for Ward but... just can't. *shrug*
EnygmaSoul
Company of Negotiable Virtue
- Location
- In your eyes and in your arms and in your head.
I mostly feel bad for Fitz, but given how screwed over he gets in the show, I'm pretty sure that might be the default state of anyone who meets him.
- Location
- USA
I mean if you were talking about Matrix! Ward I'd understand feeling sorry for him but with him gone Daisy can start a healthy relationship with Lincoln (who most likely will survive given the upgrades Dial can give out like candy to literally everyone if he so chose), Hive shouldn't become a thing etc etc.
Also this. It should stop him going scitzo and turning into a super villain... although it's arguable if that's a good thing or not considering he's basically responsible for stopping the world from blowing up.
Need some Asgardians first, if that ever comes up.
- Location
- Brazil
Agree with what?
"Indeed" is perhaps what you were thinking.
- Location
- Kenya
Lower the amount of description during dialogue. Makes it feel like you're writing a movie and also cut down on the sitcom comedy but that's just a personal preference. Other than that you're good
- Location
- Just passing through.
- Pronouns
- He/Him
No, please don't.
- Location
- Philippines
Agreed wholeheartedly. Make something too serious and you might end up turning the whole setting into the DCEU by accident.
TimEd
Meteor maker
what he probably meant is how samey some characters talk. Not so blatant as to be obvious, but Clint and sometimes Romanov does. Others only do when you try to push a point or something similar.
Either way, love the story.
- Location
- Canada
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
It's exactly what I wanted~
It's exactly what I wanted~
- Location
- USA
....I'm confused. What sitcom comedy? The only thing that's happened so far on that level is the fight with Titania.
Also I have a feeling I'm going to have to watch Antman and the Wasp to get a better idea of what effects Nanomech would have on the Quantum Realm and any adaptations it might get.
I don't suppose any of you have any ideas?
19
I ended up kind of regretting inviting them when I realized what the 'something important' was.
"You absolute son of a bitch," Tony icily.
"Stark," Coulson said serenely, trying to calm him down.
"No, don't start with that. You couldn't send a text, an email, a signal flare," Tony said, getting in Coulson's face. "I mourned you, Coulson, I actually felt bad!"
"And I appreciate that," Coulson said back. "But we weren't exactly friends, Tony. We were allies, occasionally, when you weren't locking me out of the tower to avoid my visits, or pranking me like we were in high school!"
"That's how I treat my friends!" Tony said, looking offended. "Rhodey never complained!"
"He complained all the time!" Coulson shouted back.
"What, you spied on him too?" Tony scoffed.
"New flash, Tony. I am a spy!"
As the two quibbled back and forth at each other inside the Bus' laboratory, I looked around.
The Bus was a pretty cool looking plane. The hanger door was down to let sunlight in, letting me see it in all its glory. A sweet red convertible was parked on the right side of the door, all sleek lines and leather seats, a beauty from an older time. The left side of the door held a big black SUV. Some stairs lead up to another floor, while a set of glass panels separated the cargo hold from the forensics and research lab we stood in.
Skye, Fitz-Simmons, Melinda May, Clint, and Natasha all watched the fireworks alongside me. I learned in towards Natasha.
"How long is this going to go on?" I whispered.
"I'm just wondering why we're here," she whispered back. "He said this was important."
"Well, you know Tony," Clint said. "He likes an audience."
"Drama queen?" Melinda asked.
Clint and Natasha nodded.
"This is why you should never meet your heroes," Fitz said sadly, getting a pat on the back from a sympathetic Simmons.
"Been working for me so far," I said. Clint and Natasha grinned at me, to which I could only helplessly shrug. Once a-
"Fanboy!" Tony said, somehow perfectly cutting my thought off and completing it at the same time. "Come to meet Agent."
Apparently, Tony's nickname for Coulson was 'Agent'. With a bit of confusion at how casual Tony was suddenly acting, I stepped forward, the others coming along.
"Agent, this is-"
"Dial," Coulson said, extending a hand to shake. Tony interrupted our handshake when I went to shake Coulson's.
"Don't interrupt me. This is Fanboy. He makes cool things and turns into giant things, but his wardrobe needs work."
Natasha, my costume designer, raised an offended eyebrow.
"Okay, who've you got?" Tony asked.
Coulson, clearly used to Tony, waved at his own team. "Melinda May, the pilot of the Bus and one of the finest martial artists I've ever met."
"Charmed," Tony said.
"I'm not," Melinda returned coolly.
Tony smirked at that. Coulson continued.
"This is Skye, a skilled hacker and someone who is training to be a SHIELD agent."
"Kinda useless now," Skye admitted, looking at Tony with a bit of awe. "I just got the badge too."
"Keep it," Natasha said. "Souvenir. Plus, history buffs love stuff like that."
"You still selling old Russian military gear?" Clint asked. Natasha smirked, and Melinda surprised me, as well as her crew, by chuckling a little.
Melinda smirked at them. "You had to be there," was all she said.
"Okay, hearing that story later," Tony said, ignoring the looks the super-spies gave him. "How about the married couple?"
"What?" Fitz said, startled. "Oh, we're not-"
"We're not a couple," Simmons said quickly.
"Yes, just friends."
"Close for years!"
"But not a couple."
Tony looked between them, then at Coulson. "And Ross and Rachel do what on your crew?"
I blinked. Wait, Tony knew who they were. Why was he pretending otherwise?
Coulson sighed before gesturing. "This is Leopold Fitz. Fitz is my engineer, a weapons and tech expert. And this is Jemma Simmons, my biochemist, specializing in life sciences."
"Hello," Fitz said, waving a bit weakly.
Tony eyed them both for a moment. "Jarvis, bring it up."
A hologram appeared in the back, hovering over a table. Fitz-Simmons pointed at it. "How did you-"
"I'm Tony Stark," Tony said in answer, walking over to the table.
"I don't like you messing with my plane," Coulson said in annoyance.
"And I don't like wasting money on flowers, but I did it for your funeral," Tony shot back.
"How do you keep from hitting him?" Melinda asked Natasha and Clint.
"Practice mostly," Natasha said with a smirk.
"I don't resist the urge at all honestly, keeps him honest," Clint stated proudly, leaning out of the way when Tony threw a pen at him.
"So, you guys made this?" Tony asked, pointing at the hologram, which was a floating blue image of a gun shaped like a sniper rifle.
"Huh, I see you restored the data," Fitz told Skye.
"Coulson told me to do it," Skye complained. Fitz sighed.
"Yes, I made that."
"It's brilliant," Tony said.
Fitz blinked, surprised. "You think the Night-Night guns are brilliant?"
"Hell yes I do, Ross," Tony said. "Cool name for it by the way."
"Oh," Fitz responded. "Well, they're calling it ICER now."
"...No," Tony said dismissively. "Night-Night gun," he turned to look at the hologram. "A gun that fires a dendrotoxin bullet, knocking people out like that quickly and with no side-effects? You both made it, right?"
"Yes," Simmons said quickly. "Yes we did, you see, the way we designed it was-"
And suddenly she was no longer speaking with words I could understand. Fitz immediately joined in and Tony responded. Fitz-Simmons moved around the table and showed him a section of the hologram, the two so in sync it was amazing. Just as amazing was how Tony seemed to vibe with them, falling in step with their thinking and responding to it.
"Well," Coulson said. "I suppose they're going to be at it for a while," he looked over at us. "I suppose, I can show you the plane now."
"Not yet," Tony said suddenly. He walked up to look Coulson in the eyes. "I still have more to say to you."
Coulson and Tony looked at each other a moment longer. After a bit, Coulson nodded and walked towards a back room, Tony following.
"Um," Simmons said nervously. "Should we go with them?"
The door slammed behind Tony.
"Apparently not," Fitz said.
Melinda looked at Clint and Natasha. They both shook their heads, and Melinda nodded. Apparently, spies had their own body language.
"Well, I suppose we have some time," Simmons said.
"Yes," Fitz looked over at me. "Can we scan your Omnitrix? Maybe open it up and study it?"
"Please?" Simmons asked cutely. "I promise, we won't break it!"
"...How invasive are the scans going to be? And do I need to take it off?" I hesitated. "Also, what are the chances you'll activate something that will blow us all up?"
Simmons and Fitz chuckled dismissively. "Oh no, we're very good at studying alien technology, I think we'll be fine."
I thought about that. After all, the Omnitrix had a universal self-destruct in it. One I was very scared to activate since I was one of the assholes who lived in the universe.
"How about instead I tell you how it works?" They did not seem satisfied at all with that. Before they could say anything, I spoke again. "Also, just scans. No touching buttons or taking it apart. No putting lasers on it."
"I rather feel you're being insulting," Fitz said with a scowl.
"Remember how smart I said Azmuth was? This thing makes most other alien tech, maybe all of it, obsolete. I know it's insulting, but it is the truth. You're very smart cavemen studying a supercomputer," I admitted. "One owned by a very dumb caveman. We're all dealing with a piece of tech so advanced I can only turn into ten out of the over one million aliens on it. Let's not tempt fate."
Everyone looked at the watch. Fitz finally sighed. "Okay, well, scans only. And you'll tell us about it?"
Nodding, I began to speak.
------
Tony Stark/Genius, Billionaire, Playboy, Philanthropist
Tony stood with Coulson in the tight space of the room and glared at Coulson. In all his life, he'd rarely been this... angry. The closest was when Obadiah Stane revealed that he had been selling weapons to terrorists, which rested firmly under finding out his parents had been murdered.
"Tony, why are you-"
"You were my friend," Tony said suddenly. "I mean... I know I'm not friendly. But Pepper cried when she found out you died. Her and your girlfriend, they still talk about you," Tony shook his head. "Does she know you're alive?"
Coulson stilled. "...No. No, she doesn't."
"You absolute prick."
"Tony, I actually did die! I wasn't faking, my heart stopped, my brain function was gone, hell, we're still trying to understand how I was brought back-"
"Yeah, I know, Dial brought up the files for me," the billionaire said, Coulson stopping in surprise. "I don't care. You came back to life, you had months to talk to one of us, you asshole."
They stared at each other. Finally, Coulson sighed and leaned against the wall behind him. "You're right. I should have let people know. Not the whole world, but... people," he admitted. "I'm sorry, Tony."
Tony shook his head. "Not good enough."
"What?" Coulson said, finally annoyed.
"I want those three outside to work with me."
Coulson blinked in surprise. "You want what?"
"Skye, Ross, and Rachel. I don't care if they work for... whatever this new club Fury and Steve are building is at the same time. But I've read the team files. The stuff they've done, hacking into SHIELD with a laptop, creating a counter-serum to the Centipede formula, curing a Chitauri virus? They can do a lot more under me then they can with SHIELD. I want to work with them. That's what I want in return."
"Tony, you realize that Skye and Fitz-Simmons make their own choices," Coulson said.
"Then let me ask them," Tony said. "Take them to my labs, show them what I can do for them."
"Wait, was all this anger because you wanted to borrow my experts?" Coulson asked.
Tony shrugged. "Not at first. I'm still pissed at you. But I'm planning something. Something big. I've got Dial on board. And Bruce. But I've seen what your team can do, and I think they can do even more."
"Should I be worried?" Coulson asked.
"Not really," Tony crossed his arms. "But you owe me more than an 'I'm sorry'."
"They aren't commodities for me to trade, Stark."
"I'm not saying they are, Coulson. I'm just saying I think they can do some real good with me. But I know they're your team, so I'm asking permission." Tony smirked. "But like I said, you do at least owe me."
"...Like I said, they don't need my permission," Coulson said. "Hell, I'm not even sure I'll have a job once Fury's done. But let them know that whatever their choice, they still have a place on whatever team I end up on. Whether they work for you at the same time or not."
Tony nodded. "Now, let's talk about the other stuff you owe me."
Coulson rolled his eyes.
------
Mahmoud Schahed/Dial
Fitz ran a device over my wrist as Simmons and Skye watched. May, Clint, and Natasha had all gone upstairs to talk about spy stuff, I guessed.
"So yeah," I said. "The Codon Stream is what allows the Omnitrix to do its thing. All the genetic information the Omnitrix can access exists in that stream."
"Well," Fitz said. "It is giving off some very odd readings. If this is accessing another dimension for power, that would explain it."
"Can you turn into an alien?" Simmons asked. "That may give us new readings."
I blinked. "Yeah, okay," I thought about it, then tapped the watch. In seconds, I'd become Diamondhead with my proud battlecry. Funny, for some reason I was really starting to prefer Diamondhead over Blitzwolfer. Weird, but I went with it.
"Whoa," Skye said softly, staring up at me. "You're... big. And shiny."
"Yeah, I get that a lot," I said.
"Oh my," Simmons said, walking up to look at me as Fitz stared. "And this means your DNA has changed as well?"
"Yeah," I said.
"I wonder..." Fitz moved around. "I can sense some sort of energy from you," I raised a hand palm upwards and made a crystal sprout from it. Fitz stared at his scanner, then looked at the crystal I'd sprouted. "And that energy made the crystal grow, at a guess."
"Does that contain your DNA?" Simmons asked. "It's quite beautiful."
I released the crystal and rested it on the table. Skye backed away from it nervously.
"Uh, there's no chance you have any diseases or anything, is there?" Skye asked. "I mean, the last time we interacted with an alien thing carrying a virus..."
Simmons stared at the crystal I'd created with sudden fear when she realized what Skye was implying, Fitz stepping further back from me.
"I wouldn't worry," I said simply. "I'm been turning into aliens for weeks without anyone getting sick. Besides, I'm more worried about my human form getting sick. I got the sniffles one week, and Swampfire couldn't control his powers."
"Really?" Simmons said, stepping closer to the crystal. "So your human form's health has some effect on the aliens then?"
"Can you turn into another one?" Fitz asked politely. "For some reason, I can't understand some of these readings."
"I might be able to help with that actually." I said, tapping the Omnitrix.
"Upgrade!"
I leaned forward and poured into Fitz scanner.
"Whoa, what the-" Fitz freaked out and dropped me, stepping back.
I released a loud beeping noise as my tiny body hit the floor. I grew legs from the bottom of my oblong body and rose up, looking around while blinking with an eye made from the scanners port. Feeling a bit dramatic, I grew arms and waved at the three.
"He's so cute!" Simmons cried happily.
"Yeah, still a twenty-seven-year-old man," I reminded her with my green circuits glowing with every word.
"Whoa," Skye lowered to look at me. "What does that feel like? I mean, mixing with technology."
"Like reinstalling your third lung," I said, getting confused blinks. "Hold on one second... I think I can make the scanner better."
"You mean you can improve technology permanently?" Fitz asked.
"Yeah, but I don't seem to be that good at it," I admitted. "Some of my aliens mesh better with my personality than others do. But here," I rose up and separated from the scanner, becoming a giant nanite goo monster once more and passing the scanner to Fitz, who looked at it. "Try it now."
Fitz turned it on and seemed staggered by what he was seeing. "Jemma, look at these readings!"
"I know," Simmons said excitedly, staring at the computer that was receiving the scanners
Just then, Tony and Coulson walked back into the room. I turned into my human form as they joined us.
"Fitz, Simmons, Tony would like to speak with you," Coulson said, looking around. "Where's May?"
"May went upstairs with Black Widow and Hawkeye," Skye said with a grin. "Seriously, how cool is that sentence?"
"Fangirl," Tony coughed. When Skye glared at him, he smirked. "Sorry, my cough interrupted me. I called you Fangirl."
"Let's go join them," Coulson said, guiding Skye and me away. Smiling, we all went upstairs as Tony and Fitz-Simmons continued to talk science at a rapid pace.
------
"What's it like?" Skye asked me later. We were sitting on the top level of the plane, resting on plush seats around a table. Coulson, May, Clint, and Natasha were sitting a bit away from us, joking around and reminiscing, which left Skye and me to talk. But man, the Bus really was a nice plane. For something owned by SHIELD, I was kind of jealous of all the soft chairs, the bar, and all the other amenities.
"What's what like?" I asked, sipping at my orange juice.
"Oh come on," Skye said, sounding excited. "Turning into aliens! What does it feel like?"
I grinned at her. "Oh man, it's a total blast. I mean, it's weird. Some of my aliens are just plain crazy. But some of them..." I thought of Diamondhead's incredible strength and power, flying as Astrodactyl, zooming through the city in a blur as Fasttrack. "There is nothing like it in the world. Knowing at any second, I could just tap my wrist and get a few minutes to do things no one else can."
"Man," Skye leaned back, staring at the Omnitrix with a smile. "That sounds really fun."
"You have no idea," I admitted.
"Okay, now you're rubbing it in."
"Just a bit," I said with a grin that she returned.
"You ever think of letting other people try that out?" she asked.
I shrugged. "All the time. Sometimes as a possible strategy, sometimes just to let someone try."
"You can't take that off?"
"I can," I said. "But no one else can. Once it's on, I'm the only one who can wear it."
"Can I try?" Skye asked.
I scoffed. "No way. This is my super-awesome alien watch."
"Stingy," Skye teased.
I nodded slightly, watching as she slowly drank the brown alcohol in her cup. She didn't strike me as someone who drank often, but apparently, she'd needed it. I looked over at the group of super-spies. Coulson and May were drinking the same alcohol that Skye was. May seemed tense, the older Asian woman engaging in the conversation only in the sense that she was sitting close to it. Coulson was talking, but it didn't feel real, somehow, like he was going through the motions.
Skye was the same way. Like she was trying to distract herself and failing desperately. Well, shoot. I had a distraction that few in the world could match.
I got up and held a hand out to Skye. "Hey, you want to see something cool?"
She blinked up at me. "Uh, what?"
"Something cool? It really put things in perspective for me, and I think you'll enjoy it. Granted, every human on Earth would enjoy it, but..."
"I mean, are we even allowed to leave?" she asked, still taking my hand and rising up as I pulled her along. I ignored the confused looks I got from the super-spies.
"If anyone tries to stop me I'll try to unlock Way Big and throw them into the horizon," I said, moving towards the hanger.
"You do not have an alien called that!" She said, giggling. "That's so dumb!"
"Yeah, well, if you saw him you'd understand," I took a moment to feel offended on Ben's behalf. I liked the alien's names. We went down the stairs and I poked my head in on Tony, Fitz, and Simmons still discussing things at a rapid pace, now looking at the scanner I had modified. "Hey, guys!"
The three looked over at me.
"Skye and I are stealing a Quinjet," Skye gave me a startled look. "Wanna come?"
"What?" Fitz said, shocked.
"Hell yes!" Tony said, delighted.
"Absolutely not!" Simmons said at the same time, horrified at the idea in a way that made me smile a little wider. Hermione Granger would have loved Simmons.
"Yeah," Skye said, letting go of my hand. "I'm not so sure about-"
"Hey, Fury," I said into the Omnitrix's comm link. "X, connect him to the speakers."
"Of course sir," X said.
"Dial," Fury said, annoyed. "This better be quick."
"I'm stealing a Quinjet with Tony and some of Coulson's people," I said simply.
Fury sighed in annoyance but didn't really seem to care. "Well, we were thinking about redistributing some of our resources. Sure, it's yours."
"...What?"
"Dial, I may be suspicious of you, but I'm also grateful," Fury said simply. "You were essential in saving SHIELD resources, and especially personnel. Many of my people are alive because of you and the Avengers now. You've more than earned a Quinjet. So go ahead, pick one and have X let me know which you took. Fly safe."
With that, Fury hung up, leaving us all in shock. I mean... I had a Quinjet now. Holy shit. Wait, had Fury done that just to mess with me? Or was he honestly grateful despite all his suspicions? ...Whatever, I had a Quinjet!
"Looks like you have a Quinjet now," Tony said, somehow reading my mind, and rushing out of the lab. "So where we going?"
"What is going on?" Someone said upstairs. I looked up to see Clint leaning on the railing above, looking down at us. "Fury told me to come babysit you, and that he gave you a Quinjet? Was he kidding?"
"I knew that he couldn't just let us have this," Tony groaned in annoyance, but I just grinned, feeling a bit giddy and confused all in one.
"Yeah! Can you believe it!? I mean, what the hell, right? Come with us!"
"What exactly has you so excited?" Clint asked curiously, bypassing the stairs to simply hop over the railing.
"Yeah, seriously," Skye asked, sounding a bit weirded out.
"Okay," I said, raising my hands up. "Yesterday, I saw something amazing, something so beautiful it took my breath away."
"Damn, you just met her," Tony said, looking between Skye and I. "Granted, I don't blame you, but..."
Skye grinned at Tony. "Heh. That's an ego boost for me."
"Will you all just come on?" I said, looking over at Fitz-Simmons, who still looked hesitant. "Look, I promise, it is going to be awesome."
------
Moments later, I was merged with a Quinjet again, Upgrade's incredible powers being put to use. My Quinjet. Seriously, I loved Fury. For all his suspicion, gifting me with a Quinjet in return for saving SHIELD made him my hero.
As of then, I had flown into space once more. This time, I turned the bottom of the aircraft transparent to show the world below.
"Man," Clint said slowly, sitting on the transparent floor and staring down at Earth. "She really is beautiful."
Fitz-Simmons, Skye, and Tony were staring at the same view, while I was using my camera's and sensors to do the same. We were floating over the East Coast now. Uh, the East Coast of the United States that is.
"I can't believe we're actually watching this," Skye said softly.
"It's so pretty," Simmons said brightly. "Look at the way the clouds are forming to the North! Do you think-?"
"Possibly," Fitz replied. "But of course-"
"Yes, that might happen," Simmons agreed.
To my surprise, Tony suddenly cut in. "I don't think so. Look, the winds are clearly breaking up the clouds as they go south."
Fitz-Simmons both stared for a moment before nodding simultaneously. "Oh yes, that's quite right," Simmons said.
"God, there are three of them," Skye said, sounding more happy than annoyed.
"Still, it's very pretty..." Fitz shook his head. "This is unbelievable. I mean, we're in space!"
"I know!" Simmons giggled.
"Earth's... small," Tony said, sounding very different from his usual self. "I mean, obviously it's not small, but-"
"No," I interrupted. "She's small. Beautiful, and so..." I didn't say anything else.
Until you're up there, watching home spin below you among the beauty of the stars, Earth never seems real as a concept. You can know, intellectually, that you live on a tiny piece of the universe in a far bigger part of it. But it's only when you see her in all her glory that the concept of it really hits you.
We floated there for a while before Clint sighed, looking over towards the sun. "This is pretty crazy man. How fast are you like this?"
"Not light-speed fast," I admitted. "But give me time. I think... I think I can make things better. Not just upgrade them temporarily, but permanently."
"How fascinating," Simmons said, looking around at the black and green interior of the ship. "And you said you're a species made of nanites? That's how you improved the scanner back in the lab?"
"Yeah," I said through the Quinjets internal speakers. Well, the speakers I had made.
"And how much can you change?" Fitz asked. "What's it like?"
"Not a lot of ways I can explain it, but Upgrade is really damn versatile. Oh, here," I raised a podium in front of Skye, who blinked when it opened on top to reveal a keyboard and screen. "Check it out! I can make computers."
"Can your nanites be replicated?" Simmons asked.
"I've got theories about that," Tony said.
"You guys are really ruining the experience," Clint noted, looking over as Skye began typing at the computer I had made her with great enthusiasm. I could feel her sending a message to Coulson, who didn't respond.
"Well, the experience is going to be over in a bit," I admitted, a familiar red beep coming from the Omnitrix symbol.
Clint and Tony froze. Skye and Fitz-Simmons looked over at them, understanding something was wrong.
"Uh," Tony said. "These things are airtight, right?"
Clint didn't seem to know.
With a final beep, I appeared in the back of the Quinjet in human form. The transparent floor became black metal again. More importantly, the artificial gravity I had been creating disappeared, leaving us all to begin to float. "It was airtight, but I just made it more so," I admitted, spinning in the air to look at everyone. Time as Goop left me well adjusted to floating. "The Quinjet isn't quite a spaceship, but it will get us to home and the engines should be a lot faster now."
"Oh thank god," Fitz said with a sigh, floating to grab at his seat so he could strap himself down.
Clint rose up, pulling his floating form over to the cockpit. "Seriously, what is with that thing's random timing? I think we were up here for about twelve minutes this time."
"It may be some sort of failsafe!" Fitz yelled towards the front as Clint sat down. "Uh, Hawkeye, sir."
"Call me Clint."
Fitz grinned at that.
"Today has been weird," Skye said, looking at me when I sat down. "Seriously, I'm hanging out with three Avengers in space."
"Uh, excuse me?" Tony said, smirking. "Two Avengers. Fanboy here is a reserve member at best."
"I can kick the ass of every other Avenger in the right form though," I mumbled. Tony grinned, not disagreeing.
"Fanboy?" Skye asked as Clint turned the ship towards the Earth.
"Oh, you didn't know?" Tony asked, looking mischievous. "I'm his favorite Avenger."
"You mispronounced Black Widow," I sniped. "I distinctly remember saying, 'Black Widow is my favorite Avenger.'"
"All that leather really does it for ya, huh?" Skye asked me. She smirked at the betrayed look I gave her.
"So, back to the rendezvous?" Clint asked, flying down.
"Hey, Jarvis?" Tony asked. "Are they still talking about uh... what was it?"
"International border laws, sir," Jarvis said.
"God, please keep me from politics," Tony said, an ironic statement from the man whose involvement with such in the comics caused a civil war. "Yeah, let's not. Hey, let's go to my place. I wanna show you guys the labs."
"Wait, at Stark Tower?" Fitz asked.
"It's the Avengers Tower now," Clint responded from the pilot's seat.
"Shush Legolas, I'm talking," Tony tossed something at Clint, who easily dodged it. "What do you say Ross and Rachel, wanna see my toys?"
The pair seemed to glow with happiness. "Oh yes-"
"We would very much like-"
"If it's not too much trouble-"
"How about you, Fangirl?" Tony asked Skye.
"Sure," she said brightly, not bothered by the name. "Keep the good times rolling."
I hid a smile. Maybe they'd have to face it later. But for now, I'd managed to distract the three. And that was good enough.
"Cool, I'll introduce you to Bruce."
"Bruce Banner!?" Fitz-Simmons yelled in unison.
------
Author's Note: One interesting thing about this story is that I have to deal with some things I never expected, one of them being the science side of things. Characters like Diamondhead, Upgrade, Goop, they all exist in a state that would be a dream for normal scientists to study. I'm not sure it's possible to state how say, the study of Diamondhead's biology would change the world. Hopefully I conveyed that well.
Also, I'd absolutely visit space every second I could if it was as easy as tapping the Omnitrix. The only reason I wouldn't do it as Astrodactyl is the fear I'd be changed back in the atmosphere.
"You absolute son of a bitch," Tony icily.
"Stark," Coulson said serenely, trying to calm him down.
"No, don't start with that. You couldn't send a text, an email, a signal flare," Tony said, getting in Coulson's face. "I mourned you, Coulson, I actually felt bad!"
"And I appreciate that," Coulson said back. "But we weren't exactly friends, Tony. We were allies, occasionally, when you weren't locking me out of the tower to avoid my visits, or pranking me like we were in high school!"
"That's how I treat my friends!" Tony said, looking offended. "Rhodey never complained!"
"He complained all the time!" Coulson shouted back.
"What, you spied on him too?" Tony scoffed.
"New flash, Tony. I am a spy!"
As the two quibbled back and forth at each other inside the Bus' laboratory, I looked around.
The Bus was a pretty cool looking plane. The hanger door was down to let sunlight in, letting me see it in all its glory. A sweet red convertible was parked on the right side of the door, all sleek lines and leather seats, a beauty from an older time. The left side of the door held a big black SUV. Some stairs lead up to another floor, while a set of glass panels separated the cargo hold from the forensics and research lab we stood in.
Skye, Fitz-Simmons, Melinda May, Clint, and Natasha all watched the fireworks alongside me. I learned in towards Natasha.
"How long is this going to go on?" I whispered.
"I'm just wondering why we're here," she whispered back. "He said this was important."
"Well, you know Tony," Clint said. "He likes an audience."
"Drama queen?" Melinda asked.
Clint and Natasha nodded.
"This is why you should never meet your heroes," Fitz said sadly, getting a pat on the back from a sympathetic Simmons.
"Been working for me so far," I said. Clint and Natasha grinned at me, to which I could only helplessly shrug. Once a-
"Fanboy!" Tony said, somehow perfectly cutting my thought off and completing it at the same time. "Come to meet Agent."
Apparently, Tony's nickname for Coulson was 'Agent'. With a bit of confusion at how casual Tony was suddenly acting, I stepped forward, the others coming along.
"Agent, this is-"
"Dial," Coulson said, extending a hand to shake. Tony interrupted our handshake when I went to shake Coulson's.
"Don't interrupt me. This is Fanboy. He makes cool things and turns into giant things, but his wardrobe needs work."
Natasha, my costume designer, raised an offended eyebrow.
"Okay, who've you got?" Tony asked.
Coulson, clearly used to Tony, waved at his own team. "Melinda May, the pilot of the Bus and one of the finest martial artists I've ever met."
"Charmed," Tony said.
"I'm not," Melinda returned coolly.
Tony smirked at that. Coulson continued.
"This is Skye, a skilled hacker and someone who is training to be a SHIELD agent."
"Kinda useless now," Skye admitted, looking at Tony with a bit of awe. "I just got the badge too."
"Keep it," Natasha said. "Souvenir. Plus, history buffs love stuff like that."
"You still selling old Russian military gear?" Clint asked. Natasha smirked, and Melinda surprised me, as well as her crew, by chuckling a little.
Melinda smirked at them. "You had to be there," was all she said.
"Okay, hearing that story later," Tony said, ignoring the looks the super-spies gave him. "How about the married couple?"
"What?" Fitz said, startled. "Oh, we're not-"
"We're not a couple," Simmons said quickly.
"Yes, just friends."
"Close for years!"
"But not a couple."
Tony looked between them, then at Coulson. "And Ross and Rachel do what on your crew?"
I blinked. Wait, Tony knew who they were. Why was he pretending otherwise?
Coulson sighed before gesturing. "This is Leopold Fitz. Fitz is my engineer, a weapons and tech expert. And this is Jemma Simmons, my biochemist, specializing in life sciences."
"Hello," Fitz said, waving a bit weakly.
Tony eyed them both for a moment. "Jarvis, bring it up."
A hologram appeared in the back, hovering over a table. Fitz-Simmons pointed at it. "How did you-"
"I'm Tony Stark," Tony said in answer, walking over to the table.
"I don't like you messing with my plane," Coulson said in annoyance.
"And I don't like wasting money on flowers, but I did it for your funeral," Tony shot back.
"How do you keep from hitting him?" Melinda asked Natasha and Clint.
"Practice mostly," Natasha said with a smirk.
"I don't resist the urge at all honestly, keeps him honest," Clint stated proudly, leaning out of the way when Tony threw a pen at him.
"So, you guys made this?" Tony asked, pointing at the hologram, which was a floating blue image of a gun shaped like a sniper rifle.
"Huh, I see you restored the data," Fitz told Skye.
"Coulson told me to do it," Skye complained. Fitz sighed.
"Yes, I made that."
"It's brilliant," Tony said.
Fitz blinked, surprised. "You think the Night-Night guns are brilliant?"
"Hell yes I do, Ross," Tony said. "Cool name for it by the way."
"Oh," Fitz responded. "Well, they're calling it ICER now."
"...No," Tony said dismissively. "Night-Night gun," he turned to look at the hologram. "A gun that fires a dendrotoxin bullet, knocking people out like that quickly and with no side-effects? You both made it, right?"
"Yes," Simmons said quickly. "Yes we did, you see, the way we designed it was-"
And suddenly she was no longer speaking with words I could understand. Fitz immediately joined in and Tony responded. Fitz-Simmons moved around the table and showed him a section of the hologram, the two so in sync it was amazing. Just as amazing was how Tony seemed to vibe with them, falling in step with their thinking and responding to it.
"Well," Coulson said. "I suppose they're going to be at it for a while," he looked over at us. "I suppose, I can show you the plane now."
"Not yet," Tony said suddenly. He walked up to look Coulson in the eyes. "I still have more to say to you."
Coulson and Tony looked at each other a moment longer. After a bit, Coulson nodded and walked towards a back room, Tony following.
"Um," Simmons said nervously. "Should we go with them?"
The door slammed behind Tony.
"Apparently not," Fitz said.
Melinda looked at Clint and Natasha. They both shook their heads, and Melinda nodded. Apparently, spies had their own body language.
"Well, I suppose we have some time," Simmons said.
"Yes," Fitz looked over at me. "Can we scan your Omnitrix? Maybe open it up and study it?"
"Please?" Simmons asked cutely. "I promise, we won't break it!"
"...How invasive are the scans going to be? And do I need to take it off?" I hesitated. "Also, what are the chances you'll activate something that will blow us all up?"
Simmons and Fitz chuckled dismissively. "Oh no, we're very good at studying alien technology, I think we'll be fine."
I thought about that. After all, the Omnitrix had a universal self-destruct in it. One I was very scared to activate since I was one of the assholes who lived in the universe.
"How about instead I tell you how it works?" They did not seem satisfied at all with that. Before they could say anything, I spoke again. "Also, just scans. No touching buttons or taking it apart. No putting lasers on it."
"I rather feel you're being insulting," Fitz said with a scowl.
"Remember how smart I said Azmuth was? This thing makes most other alien tech, maybe all of it, obsolete. I know it's insulting, but it is the truth. You're very smart cavemen studying a supercomputer," I admitted. "One owned by a very dumb caveman. We're all dealing with a piece of tech so advanced I can only turn into ten out of the over one million aliens on it. Let's not tempt fate."
Everyone looked at the watch. Fitz finally sighed. "Okay, well, scans only. And you'll tell us about it?"
Nodding, I began to speak.
------
Tony Stark/Genius, Billionaire, Playboy, Philanthropist
Tony stood with Coulson in the tight space of the room and glared at Coulson. In all his life, he'd rarely been this... angry. The closest was when Obadiah Stane revealed that he had been selling weapons to terrorists, which rested firmly under finding out his parents had been murdered.
"Tony, why are you-"
"You were my friend," Tony said suddenly. "I mean... I know I'm not friendly. But Pepper cried when she found out you died. Her and your girlfriend, they still talk about you," Tony shook his head. "Does she know you're alive?"
Coulson stilled. "...No. No, she doesn't."
"You absolute prick."
"Tony, I actually did die! I wasn't faking, my heart stopped, my brain function was gone, hell, we're still trying to understand how I was brought back-"
"Yeah, I know, Dial brought up the files for me," the billionaire said, Coulson stopping in surprise. "I don't care. You came back to life, you had months to talk to one of us, you asshole."
They stared at each other. Finally, Coulson sighed and leaned against the wall behind him. "You're right. I should have let people know. Not the whole world, but... people," he admitted. "I'm sorry, Tony."
Tony shook his head. "Not good enough."
"What?" Coulson said, finally annoyed.
"I want those three outside to work with me."
Coulson blinked in surprise. "You want what?"
"Skye, Ross, and Rachel. I don't care if they work for... whatever this new club Fury and Steve are building is at the same time. But I've read the team files. The stuff they've done, hacking into SHIELD with a laptop, creating a counter-serum to the Centipede formula, curing a Chitauri virus? They can do a lot more under me then they can with SHIELD. I want to work with them. That's what I want in return."
"Tony, you realize that Skye and Fitz-Simmons make their own choices," Coulson said.
"Then let me ask them," Tony said. "Take them to my labs, show them what I can do for them."
"Wait, was all this anger because you wanted to borrow my experts?" Coulson asked.
Tony shrugged. "Not at first. I'm still pissed at you. But I'm planning something. Something big. I've got Dial on board. And Bruce. But I've seen what your team can do, and I think they can do even more."
"Should I be worried?" Coulson asked.
"Not really," Tony crossed his arms. "But you owe me more than an 'I'm sorry'."
"They aren't commodities for me to trade, Stark."
"I'm not saying they are, Coulson. I'm just saying I think they can do some real good with me. But I know they're your team, so I'm asking permission." Tony smirked. "But like I said, you do at least owe me."
"...Like I said, they don't need my permission," Coulson said. "Hell, I'm not even sure I'll have a job once Fury's done. But let them know that whatever their choice, they still have a place on whatever team I end up on. Whether they work for you at the same time or not."
Tony nodded. "Now, let's talk about the other stuff you owe me."
Coulson rolled his eyes.
------
Mahmoud Schahed/Dial
Fitz ran a device over my wrist as Simmons and Skye watched. May, Clint, and Natasha had all gone upstairs to talk about spy stuff, I guessed.
"So yeah," I said. "The Codon Stream is what allows the Omnitrix to do its thing. All the genetic information the Omnitrix can access exists in that stream."
"Well," Fitz said. "It is giving off some very odd readings. If this is accessing another dimension for power, that would explain it."
"Can you turn into an alien?" Simmons asked. "That may give us new readings."
I blinked. "Yeah, okay," I thought about it, then tapped the watch. In seconds, I'd become Diamondhead with my proud battlecry. Funny, for some reason I was really starting to prefer Diamondhead over Blitzwolfer. Weird, but I went with it.
"Whoa," Skye said softly, staring up at me. "You're... big. And shiny."
"Yeah, I get that a lot," I said.
"Oh my," Simmons said, walking up to look at me as Fitz stared. "And this means your DNA has changed as well?"
"Yeah," I said.
"I wonder..." Fitz moved around. "I can sense some sort of energy from you," I raised a hand palm upwards and made a crystal sprout from it. Fitz stared at his scanner, then looked at the crystal I'd sprouted. "And that energy made the crystal grow, at a guess."
"Does that contain your DNA?" Simmons asked. "It's quite beautiful."
I released the crystal and rested it on the table. Skye backed away from it nervously.
"Uh, there's no chance you have any diseases or anything, is there?" Skye asked. "I mean, the last time we interacted with an alien thing carrying a virus..."
Simmons stared at the crystal I'd created with sudden fear when she realized what Skye was implying, Fitz stepping further back from me.
"I wouldn't worry," I said simply. "I'm been turning into aliens for weeks without anyone getting sick. Besides, I'm more worried about my human form getting sick. I got the sniffles one week, and Swampfire couldn't control his powers."
"Really?" Simmons said, stepping closer to the crystal. "So your human form's health has some effect on the aliens then?"
"Can you turn into another one?" Fitz asked politely. "For some reason, I can't understand some of these readings."
"I might be able to help with that actually." I said, tapping the Omnitrix.
"Upgrade!"
I leaned forward and poured into Fitz scanner.
"Whoa, what the-" Fitz freaked out and dropped me, stepping back.
I released a loud beeping noise as my tiny body hit the floor. I grew legs from the bottom of my oblong body and rose up, looking around while blinking with an eye made from the scanners port. Feeling a bit dramatic, I grew arms and waved at the three.
"He's so cute!" Simmons cried happily.
"Yeah, still a twenty-seven-year-old man," I reminded her with my green circuits glowing with every word.
"Whoa," Skye lowered to look at me. "What does that feel like? I mean, mixing with technology."
"Like reinstalling your third lung," I said, getting confused blinks. "Hold on one second... I think I can make the scanner better."
"You mean you can improve technology permanently?" Fitz asked.
"Yeah, but I don't seem to be that good at it," I admitted. "Some of my aliens mesh better with my personality than others do. But here," I rose up and separated from the scanner, becoming a giant nanite goo monster once more and passing the scanner to Fitz, who looked at it. "Try it now."
Fitz turned it on and seemed staggered by what he was seeing. "Jemma, look at these readings!"
"I know," Simmons said excitedly, staring at the computer that was receiving the scanners
Just then, Tony and Coulson walked back into the room. I turned into my human form as they joined us.
"Fitz, Simmons, Tony would like to speak with you," Coulson said, looking around. "Where's May?"
"May went upstairs with Black Widow and Hawkeye," Skye said with a grin. "Seriously, how cool is that sentence?"
"Fangirl," Tony coughed. When Skye glared at him, he smirked. "Sorry, my cough interrupted me. I called you Fangirl."
"Let's go join them," Coulson said, guiding Skye and me away. Smiling, we all went upstairs as Tony and Fitz-Simmons continued to talk science at a rapid pace.
------
"What's it like?" Skye asked me later. We were sitting on the top level of the plane, resting on plush seats around a table. Coulson, May, Clint, and Natasha were sitting a bit away from us, joking around and reminiscing, which left Skye and me to talk. But man, the Bus really was a nice plane. For something owned by SHIELD, I was kind of jealous of all the soft chairs, the bar, and all the other amenities.
"What's what like?" I asked, sipping at my orange juice.
"Oh come on," Skye said, sounding excited. "Turning into aliens! What does it feel like?"
I grinned at her. "Oh man, it's a total blast. I mean, it's weird. Some of my aliens are just plain crazy. But some of them..." I thought of Diamondhead's incredible strength and power, flying as Astrodactyl, zooming through the city in a blur as Fasttrack. "There is nothing like it in the world. Knowing at any second, I could just tap my wrist and get a few minutes to do things no one else can."
"Man," Skye leaned back, staring at the Omnitrix with a smile. "That sounds really fun."
"You have no idea," I admitted.
"Okay, now you're rubbing it in."
"Just a bit," I said with a grin that she returned.
"You ever think of letting other people try that out?" she asked.
I shrugged. "All the time. Sometimes as a possible strategy, sometimes just to let someone try."
"You can't take that off?"
"I can," I said. "But no one else can. Once it's on, I'm the only one who can wear it."
"Can I try?" Skye asked.
I scoffed. "No way. This is my super-awesome alien watch."
"Stingy," Skye teased.
I nodded slightly, watching as she slowly drank the brown alcohol in her cup. She didn't strike me as someone who drank often, but apparently, she'd needed it. I looked over at the group of super-spies. Coulson and May were drinking the same alcohol that Skye was. May seemed tense, the older Asian woman engaging in the conversation only in the sense that she was sitting close to it. Coulson was talking, but it didn't feel real, somehow, like he was going through the motions.
Skye was the same way. Like she was trying to distract herself and failing desperately. Well, shoot. I had a distraction that few in the world could match.
I got up and held a hand out to Skye. "Hey, you want to see something cool?"
She blinked up at me. "Uh, what?"
"Something cool? It really put things in perspective for me, and I think you'll enjoy it. Granted, every human on Earth would enjoy it, but..."
"I mean, are we even allowed to leave?" she asked, still taking my hand and rising up as I pulled her along. I ignored the confused looks I got from the super-spies.
"If anyone tries to stop me I'll try to unlock Way Big and throw them into the horizon," I said, moving towards the hanger.
"You do not have an alien called that!" She said, giggling. "That's so dumb!"
"Yeah, well, if you saw him you'd understand," I took a moment to feel offended on Ben's behalf. I liked the alien's names. We went down the stairs and I poked my head in on Tony, Fitz, and Simmons still discussing things at a rapid pace, now looking at the scanner I had modified. "Hey, guys!"
The three looked over at me.
"Skye and I are stealing a Quinjet," Skye gave me a startled look. "Wanna come?"
"What?" Fitz said, shocked.
"Hell yes!" Tony said, delighted.
"Absolutely not!" Simmons said at the same time, horrified at the idea in a way that made me smile a little wider. Hermione Granger would have loved Simmons.
"Yeah," Skye said, letting go of my hand. "I'm not so sure about-"
"Hey, Fury," I said into the Omnitrix's comm link. "X, connect him to the speakers."
"Of course sir," X said.
"Dial," Fury said, annoyed. "This better be quick."
"I'm stealing a Quinjet with Tony and some of Coulson's people," I said simply.
Fury sighed in annoyance but didn't really seem to care. "Well, we were thinking about redistributing some of our resources. Sure, it's yours."
"...What?"
"Dial, I may be suspicious of you, but I'm also grateful," Fury said simply. "You were essential in saving SHIELD resources, and especially personnel. Many of my people are alive because of you and the Avengers now. You've more than earned a Quinjet. So go ahead, pick one and have X let me know which you took. Fly safe."
With that, Fury hung up, leaving us all in shock. I mean... I had a Quinjet now. Holy shit. Wait, had Fury done that just to mess with me? Or was he honestly grateful despite all his suspicions? ...Whatever, I had a Quinjet!
"Looks like you have a Quinjet now," Tony said, somehow reading my mind, and rushing out of the lab. "So where we going?"
"What is going on?" Someone said upstairs. I looked up to see Clint leaning on the railing above, looking down at us. "Fury told me to come babysit you, and that he gave you a Quinjet? Was he kidding?"
"I knew that he couldn't just let us have this," Tony groaned in annoyance, but I just grinned, feeling a bit giddy and confused all in one.
"Yeah! Can you believe it!? I mean, what the hell, right? Come with us!"
"What exactly has you so excited?" Clint asked curiously, bypassing the stairs to simply hop over the railing.
"Yeah, seriously," Skye asked, sounding a bit weirded out.
"Okay," I said, raising my hands up. "Yesterday, I saw something amazing, something so beautiful it took my breath away."
"Damn, you just met her," Tony said, looking between Skye and I. "Granted, I don't blame you, but..."
Skye grinned at Tony. "Heh. That's an ego boost for me."
"Will you all just come on?" I said, looking over at Fitz-Simmons, who still looked hesitant. "Look, I promise, it is going to be awesome."
------
Moments later, I was merged with a Quinjet again, Upgrade's incredible powers being put to use. My Quinjet. Seriously, I loved Fury. For all his suspicion, gifting me with a Quinjet in return for saving SHIELD made him my hero.
As of then, I had flown into space once more. This time, I turned the bottom of the aircraft transparent to show the world below.
"Man," Clint said slowly, sitting on the transparent floor and staring down at Earth. "She really is beautiful."
Fitz-Simmons, Skye, and Tony were staring at the same view, while I was using my camera's and sensors to do the same. We were floating over the East Coast now. Uh, the East Coast of the United States that is.
"I can't believe we're actually watching this," Skye said softly.
"It's so pretty," Simmons said brightly. "Look at the way the clouds are forming to the North! Do you think-?"
"Possibly," Fitz replied. "But of course-"
"Yes, that might happen," Simmons agreed.
To my surprise, Tony suddenly cut in. "I don't think so. Look, the winds are clearly breaking up the clouds as they go south."
Fitz-Simmons both stared for a moment before nodding simultaneously. "Oh yes, that's quite right," Simmons said.
"God, there are three of them," Skye said, sounding more happy than annoyed.
"Still, it's very pretty..." Fitz shook his head. "This is unbelievable. I mean, we're in space!"
"I know!" Simmons giggled.
"Earth's... small," Tony said, sounding very different from his usual self. "I mean, obviously it's not small, but-"
"No," I interrupted. "She's small. Beautiful, and so..." I didn't say anything else.
Until you're up there, watching home spin below you among the beauty of the stars, Earth never seems real as a concept. You can know, intellectually, that you live on a tiny piece of the universe in a far bigger part of it. But it's only when you see her in all her glory that the concept of it really hits you.
We floated there for a while before Clint sighed, looking over towards the sun. "This is pretty crazy man. How fast are you like this?"
"Not light-speed fast," I admitted. "But give me time. I think... I think I can make things better. Not just upgrade them temporarily, but permanently."
"How fascinating," Simmons said, looking around at the black and green interior of the ship. "And you said you're a species made of nanites? That's how you improved the scanner back in the lab?"
"Yeah," I said through the Quinjets internal speakers. Well, the speakers I had made.
"And how much can you change?" Fitz asked. "What's it like?"
"Not a lot of ways I can explain it, but Upgrade is really damn versatile. Oh, here," I raised a podium in front of Skye, who blinked when it opened on top to reveal a keyboard and screen. "Check it out! I can make computers."
"Can your nanites be replicated?" Simmons asked.
"I've got theories about that," Tony said.
"You guys are really ruining the experience," Clint noted, looking over as Skye began typing at the computer I had made her with great enthusiasm. I could feel her sending a message to Coulson, who didn't respond.
"Well, the experience is going to be over in a bit," I admitted, a familiar red beep coming from the Omnitrix symbol.
Clint and Tony froze. Skye and Fitz-Simmons looked over at them, understanding something was wrong.
"Uh," Tony said. "These things are airtight, right?"
Clint didn't seem to know.
With a final beep, I appeared in the back of the Quinjet in human form. The transparent floor became black metal again. More importantly, the artificial gravity I had been creating disappeared, leaving us all to begin to float. "It was airtight, but I just made it more so," I admitted, spinning in the air to look at everyone. Time as Goop left me well adjusted to floating. "The Quinjet isn't quite a spaceship, but it will get us to home and the engines should be a lot faster now."
"Oh thank god," Fitz said with a sigh, floating to grab at his seat so he could strap himself down.
Clint rose up, pulling his floating form over to the cockpit. "Seriously, what is with that thing's random timing? I think we were up here for about twelve minutes this time."
"It may be some sort of failsafe!" Fitz yelled towards the front as Clint sat down. "Uh, Hawkeye, sir."
"Call me Clint."
Fitz grinned at that.
"Today has been weird," Skye said, looking at me when I sat down. "Seriously, I'm hanging out with three Avengers in space."
"Uh, excuse me?" Tony said, smirking. "Two Avengers. Fanboy here is a reserve member at best."
"I can kick the ass of every other Avenger in the right form though," I mumbled. Tony grinned, not disagreeing.
"Fanboy?" Skye asked as Clint turned the ship towards the Earth.
"Oh, you didn't know?" Tony asked, looking mischievous. "I'm his favorite Avenger."
"You mispronounced Black Widow," I sniped. "I distinctly remember saying, 'Black Widow is my favorite Avenger.'"
"All that leather really does it for ya, huh?" Skye asked me. She smirked at the betrayed look I gave her.
"So, back to the rendezvous?" Clint asked, flying down.
"Hey, Jarvis?" Tony asked. "Are they still talking about uh... what was it?"
"International border laws, sir," Jarvis said.
"God, please keep me from politics," Tony said, an ironic statement from the man whose involvement with such in the comics caused a civil war. "Yeah, let's not. Hey, let's go to my place. I wanna show you guys the labs."
"Wait, at Stark Tower?" Fitz asked.
"It's the Avengers Tower now," Clint responded from the pilot's seat.
"Shush Legolas, I'm talking," Tony tossed something at Clint, who easily dodged it. "What do you say Ross and Rachel, wanna see my toys?"
The pair seemed to glow with happiness. "Oh yes-"
"We would very much like-"
"If it's not too much trouble-"
"How about you, Fangirl?" Tony asked Skye.
"Sure," she said brightly, not bothered by the name. "Keep the good times rolling."
I hid a smile. Maybe they'd have to face it later. But for now, I'd managed to distract the three. And that was good enough.
"Cool, I'll introduce you to Bruce."
"Bruce Banner!?" Fitz-Simmons yelled in unison.
------
Author's Note: One interesting thing about this story is that I have to deal with some things I never expected, one of them being the science side of things. Characters like Diamondhead, Upgrade, Goop, they all exist in a state that would be a dream for normal scientists to study. I'm not sure it's possible to state how say, the study of Diamondhead's biology would change the world. Hopefully I conveyed that well.
Also, I'd absolutely visit space every second I could if it was as easy as tapping the Omnitrix. The only reason I wouldn't do it as Astrodactyl is the fear I'd be changed back in the atmosphere.